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What started as an investigation into a man breaking into parked vehicles at an auto repair shop on Saturday led to the arrest of George Cook, who was arrested over the weekend after being busted setting a fire in the back of the pizza joint.
At around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3, officers were called after a witness spotted Cook breaking into vehicles and then setting the fire behind the building.
While investigating the vehicle thefts, a citizen advised officers that he spotted Cook entering vehicles at the nearby repair shop.
A trooper assisting investigators immediately responded and observed Cook entering a vehicle, which he subsequently detained.
As police officers were investigating the tampering of a vehicle, it was learned that Westminster police arrested Cook over the last few weeks for setting small fires within city limits.
Those fires were similar to how the Domino's fire was started, including placing feces into bags or boxes and setting those items on fire.
During the investigation, "a Domino's manager told Deputy State Fire Marshals that Cook had come into the store earlier in the week, became belligerent and kicked over a trash can after he was told to leave because they refused to give him the free food he had requested."
Cook was charged with second-degree arson, first- and second-degree malicious burning of property over $1,000. He's also facing charges of rogue and vagabond, and theft of under $100 by the Westminster Police Department.
He is being held without bond at the Carroll County Detention Center.
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